PM's energy efficiency report a vital step on the road to a greener built environment

The report was commissioned by the Australian Government to provide advice on the development of policy that will strengthen Australia's response to climate change and reduce pressure on energy costs.

Chief Executive of the GBCA, Romilly Madew, says that the report is "a vital step on the road to a greener built environment for Australia.

"We are delighted to see the report identify some of the opportunities within the built environment - although I emphasise that there are many more opportunities to be embraced than those outlined in the report," Ms Madew says.

"Clean energy solutions have been available for a number of years, and great advances in their development have been made within Australia. Green building is one of the world's fastest growing industries and many buildings and communities can now produce their own energy through solar, photovoltaic, wind, cogeneration, trigeneration and biogas initiatives, among many other approaches," Ms Madew explains.

"Energy efficiency schemes and technologies are readily available now - they don't have to be expensive to implement, and they're not complicated to understand."

The GBCA is pleased with the current multi-partisan discussions about a price on carbon.

"Certainty in the market is important. Australian business, as well as the general public, should be part of the conversation so that they can fully understand the benefits, the value and the long-term significance to the economy, the environment, policy and productivity," Ms Madew says.

"Not only does greater energy efficiency make both economic and environmental sense, but it will help reduce the built environment's - as well as any individual's, family's or company's - exposure to any price on carbon," Ms Madew concludes.